Breast cancer return risks reduced by radiation

U.S. – A new study suggests the risks of breast cancer returning in patients may be reduced by radiation therapy following surgery. As reported by WebMD Health News, researchers found that the treatment after surgery may contribute to reducing the risks of the disease returning within 10 years by approximately 15 percent.

Sarah Darby, PhD, a professor of medical statistics at Oxford University in England, is quoted in the report as stating of the findings, which were recently presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), “The findings reinforce the message that radiation substantially reduces the risk of recurrence… We can also see more clearly the extent to which it reduces mortality in the long term. The reductions were bigger than expected.”

Darby is further quoted as stating, “A combination of moderate gains in treatment and screening led to a halving of breast cancer [deaths] among women ages 35 to 69 in the U.K. and U.S. since the 1980s.”